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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. press — a publisher
  3. mate — a friend
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. press — to push
  8. track — a path
  9. mate — to breed
  10. net — in sport
  11. suit — clothes
  12. mate — a partner
  13. suit — in cards
  14. net — after costs
  15. suit — to fit
  16. press — newspapers
  17. track — to keep track
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. track — a song
  24. rule — government

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com